Boston’s Hookah Hiccup

Boston's Hookah Hiccup

43. Boston’s Hookah Hiccup

The bars are popular near college campuses, and offer tobacco in various flavors, including watermelon and chocolate chip. People use a hookah pipe — common in Asia and Africa — to inhale smoke filtered through water.

Swartz said the hookah is a serious health hazard, and its appeal to young people is alarming.

“It’s becoming sort of trendy and you can sit around with a group of people and share and it has sort of a social quality to it,” he said, adding it’s “viewed as though you’re being exposed to other cultures in a way that is fun and exciting.”